Author
Topic: Refusing to meet the Royals (Read 7758 times)

The attached clip is from a morning show in Australia called Sunrise. They had a panel segment where they discussed several topics and the one that stood out for me was that one of the panellists was invited to be in a receiving line to meet the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and refused out of respect for the late Princess Diana.

Now this woman didn't make a big scene about not wanting to meet, she just took herself off to the champagne tent instead of getting into the line. But she has discussed it on Twitter and on the attached clip and given her reasons.

Leaving aside who did what to whom, is it right to refuse to meet the Prince and Duchess on moral grounds? Would you absent yourself rather than shake the Duchess of Cornwall's hand? Is it really betraying Diana's memory if even her children have accepted this woman into their family?

(Also regarding the end of the video I apologise profusely on behalf of all Australians. We're not all like that, it's a very small, very disgraceful section of the community)

I think you have the right to refuse to meet someone if you do not want to meet them, but I don't agree with the tweeting and video clip promotion. No one would be criticizing the decision if it hadn't been advertised as a decision.

Logged

My inner (r-word) is having a field day with this one.-Love is Evol: Christopher Titus-

I agree with afbluebelle. Just because you are royalty doesn't mean I have to like or respect you, and I certainly don't have to "meet" you. But publishing it all over the internet, takes that decision to a much lower level and that is not okay. It is like giving someone the cut-direct - you have your reasons for doing so, but you don't advertise them to all and sundry.

Logged

"The test of good manners is to be patient with bad ones" - Solomon ibn Gabirol

I agree with afbluebell and MyFamily - if you don't want to meet someone, fine. Advertising the decision to all and sundry - not fine.

JonGirl - I don't have a problem with Camilla personally, but the early 80s were so inundated with the "fairytale" romance of Charles and Diana that I can see how some people may be a bit biased. I don't have a lot of interest in the royal family as such but it all happened a long time ago.

I agree. Chosing not to meet someone is fine. Turning it into a publicity stunt is not.And I do not think that it honours anyone's memory to drag up past wrongs when those most concerned have chosen to move on.

Had she simply not gone and said nothing about it, she'd have been fine. Had anyone asked if she'd met them and she'd said something along the lines of, "No. I was in the champagne tent during the presentation," she would have been fine. Had anyone asked why and she'd offered an excuse like, "Oh, it just isn't my thing," she'd have been fine.

This is in very poor taste. The interpersonal details of what went on between Charles and Di have been out there for all to read, yes, but at this point do people really feel the need to judge the third (fourth, fifth, etc) parties involved? Obviously Camilla was more than a passing fancy, they're married now, and it's not up to this woman to "stand up" for Diana by snubbing Camilla due to her own moral judgements.

Declining quietly is one thing, but this just smacks of attention-grabbing.

Yes, people really don't like Camilla. Not all people but definitely some people. In fact, even Diana took a hit in the eyes of some people for cheating. I agree that an individual is not rude to decline but that they don't tirn their grievances into a public broadcast.

Their objections to Charles and Camile might not be because of the cheating, there are still people who seriously believe that the Royal family had something to do with her death. This person could be a conspiracy theorist. *IF* I thought someone had their wife killed, I would not be meeting them and would not keep silent about it, just saying.